How much do you know about Socrates [quiz]

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This March, the OUP Philosophy team honors Socrates (470-399 BC) as their Philosopher of the Month. As elusive as was a groundbreaking figure in the history of philosophy, this ancient thinker is perhaps best known as the mentor of Plato and the developer of the Socratic method. While Socrates remains to some degree mysterious, several ancient sources inform our modern understanding of his life and work.

How much do you know about Socrates? Test your knowledge with our quiz below!

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Recent Comments

Socrates was not in fact sentenced to death – or rather – he had the option of Leaving Athens or suicide and chose the latter. So, two of the answers would have been correct, no?

Glenn Fortin22nd March 2017

Socrates refused excile and chose death by poisoning

Michael25th March 2017

Glenn is right, yet too abstract.

He was condemned to death by suicide (poison) , but when he allegedly had the chance of escaping , he chose to die in the hands of his students.

Fun Trivia: As they were wiping , he turned to them and said: “Don’t cry, tears are a woman’s trait”.

Ted Sendler25th March 2017

Socrates was an Athenian entire life. The only time he even left Athens was to go to war. In his mind leaving Athens would have been giving up his identify.The only choice he had was to submit to whatever punishment the government handed down to him as an Athenian. For more information read the Crito. It’s all about his feelings on this subject.

pinkish26th March 2017

great

David Vance18th May 2017

According to trial procedure, the defense and the prosecution each proposed a punishment after the jury found Socrates guilty. Socrates at first proposed that he be punished by being given free meals for life at state expense. He then changed that to a fine when Plato and other friends urged him to do so. The prosecution proposed a punishment of death. A majority of the jury then voted for the prosecution’s proposal. In this way, Socrates was condemned to death. Ordinarily, the penalty would have been carried out the same day. But a religious holiday intervened, so Socrates drank the hemlock three days later. In the interim, he had the chance to escape but refused to do so.

Brad28th May 2017

From what I recall (75% according to this test), Socrates was not offered a choice of exile over execution as a punishment by the authorities. And fearing for Socrates’ life, Plato offered to bribe an Athenian official so that Socrates could leave Athens. Socrates refused Plato’s offer of help as he viewed it as corrupt & immoral and took his own life.